Roger Rogerson wanted 'ten million and a jet,' jury hears

When Roger Rogerson was offered between $2 million and $5 million to “deliver a message”, his response was that he wanted ten million and a jet to fly him to Cooma jail to discuss the business on offer.

A District Court jury has heard that the corrupt former detective, who has since been jailed for life for murder, was the go-between in an alleged extortion attempt on wealthy murderer Ron Medich.

Roger Rogerson was jailed for life for the 2014 murder of student Jamie Gao.Credit:Daniel Munoz

The initial approach to Rogerson has been aired via a series of taped phone calls made between prison inmate Shayne Hatfield and his former partner Linda Monfrooy.

Both have pleaded not guilty to being involved in a conspiracy with Lucky Gattellari to extort $15 million from Medich in return for Gattellari changing his evidence.

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At the time of the alleged extortion attempts in 2013 and 2104, Gattellari, who had pleaded guilty to his role in the murder, was the Crown’s star witness against Medich, who had been charged with ordering the 2009 murder of his former business partner Michael McGurk.

In early March 2014, Hatfield was Gattellari’s cellmate in Cooma jail. In calls to Ms Monfrooy, Hatfield dictated a message for her to be delivered to Rogerson.

“It’s breaking no law,” he told Ms Monfrooy to tell Rogerson. “[It] needs a recognised person such as yourself … it is simply delivering a message to someone in Sydney.”

The fee was to be “a minimum of $2 million and as much as $5 million when completed,” Hatfield dictated to Ms Monfrooy.

It was crucial that Rogerson come to Cooma in person to hear the details of the plan.

Three days later, Ms Monfrooy relayed to Hatfield that Rogerson said that “it all sounds too good to be true’’ and that “it would have to be ten and you’d have to fly me down in a jet.”

“I just think he’s not interested,” observed Ms Monfrooy.

But three days later, on 16 May 2014, Rogerson rang her back with some good news. “The door isn’t closed,” she said. A good friend of Rogerson’s, a man named “Glen” who was a private detective, was going to discuss the matter.

In a later call, Ms Monfrooy told Hatfield that the person was Glen McNamara. In his capacity as “representing Roger,” McNamara would make arrangements to come to Cooma jail to speak to Hatfield, Ms Monfrooy relayed to her former partner.

Glen McNamara leaves the King Street Courts in March.Credit:Brook Mitchell

By 10 May two documents were delivered to Medich’s brother Roy. The first had McNamara’s and Rogerson’s contact details. The second was a handwritten letter of demand, which outlined the demand price was initially $10 million, then $15 million, the present demand was $30 million and if that was not paid by 15 May, it would go to $50 million.

However, on 20 May - in between trips to Cooma jail to discuss the extortion plot - McNamara and Rogerson murdered student Jamie Gao.

McNamara was arrested on 25 May, 2014, as he and Ms Monfrooy drove back to Sydney after a visit to Hatflield in Cooma jail.